Wrong
by Elfprinzess
Summary: "Run." The fury in Arthur's voice caused Merlin to flinch. He lifted a hand out to plea, but the look Arthur's eyes, and the rest of the knights' stopped him. Fear. They feared him. Feared the monster. The freak. The wrong one. Drabble, no spoilers but it doesn't follow canon.
1. Wrong

**This is just a random drabble that I got into my head and I wanted to get it out.**

**I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

He wasn't meant to find out like this. Not like this.

"Run."

No, never like this. Not when Merlin had just killed men. He was meant to see him healing someone, saving someone, not taking lives.

"Arthur, please."

"Run."

Merlin stared into the eyes of his king. The pain, betrayal and anger there made Merlin's breath get caught in his throat and tears blurred his vision.

_Freak. Monster. Liar. Traitor._

"Run. Now. If I see you again I will kill you, now run. You have two hours to get out of Camelot."

Merlin glanced at the knights who were all looking conflicted, but they stood with their King. Merlin shook his head at his King, because no matter what, Arthur would always be his king.

"Arthur, I'm sorry."

"Run." The fury in Arthur's voice caused Merlin to flinch. He lifted a hand out to plea, but the look Arthur's eyes, and the rest of the knights' stopped him. Fear. They feared him. Feared the monster. The freak. The wrong one.

And rightly so.

"I'm sorry." Merlin whispered, taking a step backwards, and another, before turning and running. Running from his friends, his family, his home. He didn't belong there, he didn't deserve to be there. He was wrong, he was a monster, he was a liar, a betrayer. He didn't deserve to have a family or be loved. He was wrong. And he would always be wrong.

* * *

**End**


	2. Not Wrong (sequel)

**A few people asked for a sequel, and well, I needed a break from studying for my exams so I wrote this for you :) I hope you enjoy it :D**

**Please review and let me know your thoughts.**

* * *

**Wow! Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed so far already! I just wanted to adress one review, from a guest to the site, I'm sorry I can't reply directly. I also apologise for not labelling the story AU, I had assumed that was obvious and as I had not planned a sequel, and was just leaving the story at the first chapter, with a couple hundred words, I did not think it necessary. Also, I am sorry that you were disappointed that this is completely out of character, I wrote this not with the intention to follow how the characters have reacted in the past to events but to write an interpretation of an event that we all know is going to happen, we just don't know how.**

**This story is AU, and the characters are out of character, but in my story, Merlin's cracked from all the pressure he is under - his fear of being caught, the guilt he obviously feels for lying to his friends, and in my opinion, he would blame himself for some of the things that had gone wrong, that resulted in the death of different people. Therefore, the Merlin in this story is not going to act as the Merlin in the show, and as we don't know how Arthur and the other knights will react to Merlin having magic, it is all speculation and personal opinion, so these characters in my story are most definitely out of character, but it is my attempt at a possible outcome (which is unlikely, almost impossible really), one that I don't actually want to happen, but I had wanted to attempt writing it.**

* * *

"Arthur, this is hopeless." Gwaine complained.

"I have to find him." Arthur insisted. "I shouldn't have made him leave; I need him to know that."

The forest was closing in around them, trees, bushes, leaves, branches, everything hanging down and encasing the group of men. Gwaine gave the blonde King a side look, one that clearly showed the knight's doubt of the King's sanity.

"If you say so." Gwaine sighed.

"Gwaine, please, you saw his face. You all did." Arthur pleaded. "He was terrified. He was –"

"We all remember Arthur." Leon interrupted.

Arthur glanced at his knights, Percival and Elyan were silent, but nodding. Gwaine and Leon were watching Arthur. Lancelot was glancing around.

"Sire. I have an idea how to make this more efficient." Lancelot spoke up.

"What is it?"

"Stay here. All of you." Lancelot ordered. "Please sire, trust me."

"Fine, but what are you going to do?"

"Just, wait here."

Arthur watched as Lancelot left, disappearing into the bushes.

"Now what?" Gwaine asked.

"Now, we wait, and hope Lancelot comes back soon." Arthur sighed, sitting down on a log.

The other knights shrugged and sat down and made themselves comfortable.

* * *

"Merlin?" Lancelot called out, noticing the footprints made by a man. He was twenty minutes away from the rest of the knights when he first found the tracks.

'_Go away'_ the wind whispered, rushing through his ears and trying to push him back the way he came. The wind grew stronger, pushing Lancelot backwards despite Lancelot leaning forward. _'Leave me'_.

"No." Lancelot, with considerable effort, pushed against the wind and managed to take a few steps forward. The wind dropped down and Merlin appeared from behind the trees.

"Leave." Merlin whispered, eyes wide. His clothing was covered in rips, mud and blood. He didn't have any major injuries, just cuts here and there, so the blood was old. His hair had grown and become matted and knotted. His skin was dirty, so his wide eyes stood out, the blue was clear and frantic. "Leave." Merlin repeated, lifting a hand in warning.

"You won't hurt me Merlin, you're better than that." Lancelot shook his head.

Merlin lowered his eyes, "Lancelot," Merlin whispered, his body shaking.

"Merlin, I'm here with Arthur and the rest of the knights.

Merlin's head snapped up, his eyes wide with panic and self-hatred. "No, no, no, no, run, run, run, must run, Arthur said so, said I am wrong, wrong, wrong, freak." Merlin whispered.

"Gods Merlin," Lancelot sighed, taking a step forward. "You are not wrong. You are not a freak. The day after Arthur banished you, the man legalised magic, and sent search parties out for you. For the last couple of months since that day, he's not stopped looking. He's admitted he was stupid for sending you away. He wants you to come back."

Merlin stared at the man.

"Merlin, what about Gwen? Gaius? Your destiny?" Lancelot asked, desperate for something that works.

"They're better off without me." Merlin turned away.

Lancelot stepped forward and gripped his arm.

Merlin flinched and jerked away. Lancelot let his own arm drop.

"Don't."

"Merlin, I'm not afraid of you. I trust you with my life, and those I love. Every knight waiting for me to return with you trusts you just the same as me. I've known the truth the entire time, and I told them that. They know you've lied, and they understand why you had to, to begin with, and they are upset you continued to do so after they think you should've been able to trust them, but they understand that you grew up hiding, and that to do otherwise was to risk your life and they've forgiven you. They just want to hear from you that you are alright, and they want to hear the truth from you and Arthur wants to apologise to you." Lancelot pleaded.

Merlin stared wordlessly, then, he let out a shuddering breath. "I'm a monster though." Merlin whispered. "Magic is evil, and I am magic, I am evil."

"No. That's not true. You helped me save everyone from a griffon. You stopped an immortal army, twice, to protect your king and people." Lancelot argued. "Come back with me. Hear what Arthur has to say, tell him all you've done for him, the good and the bad, please."

Merlin blinked once. Twice. Then nodded once.

"Thank you." Lancelot grinned, and offered the boy his hand. Merlin looked at it and tucked his own hands under his arms, crossing them over his chest. Lancelot kept his grin in place, trying to reassure the man, and turned back the way he came.

* * *

"Sire?" Lancelot called out, approaching the place where he left the knights and King.

"Lancelot?" Arthur called back.

Lancelot glanced back at Merlin who was following silently, keeping his head tucked down and his hands tucked in to his sides. He was too silent for Lancelot to be comfortable with. The clumsy manservant who stepped on every twig and branch was gone, and in his place was this silent, ghosting figure.

"We're back." Lancelot responded, entering through the trees to where the knights were sitting on a log. Merlin hovered at the edge, shrinking in on himself as his fingers curled around the trunk of a nearby tree.

"Merlin." Arthur stood, staring at the boy in surprise and relief. He took in the warlock's appearance. Arthur stepped forward, and Merlin stepped back. Arthur lifted his hands in a surrender position. "I won't hurt you." Arthur spoke softly. He slowly stepped forward, and Merlin moved closer to the tree, pressing up against it. But the boy didn't run as Arthur moved closer. "I'm so sorry," Arthur whispered. "I was wrong."

"Wrong, wrong, freak, me." Merlin muttered, his eyes dropping to study the floor of the forest, not even aware he was talking out loud.

"No Merlin. No." Arthur reached out slowly and gripped the man's shoulder. "Not wrong. You're an extremely loyal friend who is willing to put up with pain and fear each day to protect his friends and you are an amazingly brave man. You are not wrong, you are a hero."

Merlin looked at the hand on his shoulder, and then at the body connected to the hand. Arthur stared back, as the wide blue eyes searched his face. "Not wrong?" Merlin whispered.

"No, you're not wrong. You're anything but wrong." Arthur insisted, holding out his other hand. "Come home Merlin, tell me all that you've done, and we'll move on from this. We'll help each other move past this." Arthur begged.

Merlin studied the outstretched hand, and then the King. Arthur stepped forward, and Merlin didn't move. Arthur slowly wrapped his outstretched hand around Merlin's shoulders, hugging the boy. Merlin stood still, nonreactive for a few minutes, but Arthur didn't give up.

"Come home, Merlin, please." Arthur whispered.

After a few moments, Merlin slowly let go of the tree trunk, and hugged the blonde back.

"OK." Merlin whispered back, body shaking slightly. "OK."

**The End**


End file.
